West Ham: Moyes 'wants to keep' £52k-a-week star at London Stadium | OneFootball

West Ham United manager David Moyes will not ‘want to sell’ important defender Vladimir Coufal over the coming months, according to journalist Paul Brown.

The 30-year-old has been linked with a move away from the London Stadium of late following a perceived drop-off in form and uncertainly over his contract situation.

What is the latest news involving Coufal?

Coufal’s current £52,000-per-week deal is due to expire next summer, but West Ham have the options to extend his stay at the club by a further two years, leaving them in a strong position around the negotiating table.

However, Sky Sports Germany reporter Marlon Irlbacher previously revealed that Bayer Leverkusen had held ‘positive’ talks with the Hammers over Coufal.

And it’s also believed that the Czech Republic international ‘can imagine a move’ to the Bundesliga outfit after falling down the pecking order this season under Moyes.

Summer signing Thilo Kehrer has been favoured at right-back in the Premier League in recent weeks despite favouring the centre-back role.

Academy graduate Ben Johnson is also rivalling Coufal for game time, meaning Moyes may view January as a good time to cash-in on the experienced campaigner.

What has Brown said about Coufal?

Despite Coufal’s drop in status at West Ham, Brown still believes that Moyes will be eager to retain his services, as much for his presence off the pitch as his ability on it.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “I think he has become, and still is, a key part of that really.

“Behind the scenes, even when he doesn’t play, I think he is someone that is quite important to the club. I don’t think David Moyes would want to sell.”

How big a loss would Coufal be?

West Ham signed Coufal from Slavia Prague for £5 million back in 2020, and he made an instant impact, registering 12 assists in his first 70 appearances for the club across all competitions.

However, the full-back has failed to set up any of his teammates in his 17 outings throughout the current campaign.

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As per WhoScored, Coufal has still averaged 1.7 interceptions, the highest amongst tally amongst his teammates, and 0.6 crosses, the third-highest total when compared to his colleagues in each top-flight fixture he’s played.

Coufal is evidently still capable of making a difference for West Ham, but with the emergence of Kehrer and Johnson, it may be hard for him to get back into the starting XI.